Our Land - Shadows
by Snowy Stoat
Summary: Sequel to my previous Ice Age fanfic 'Our Land'. A year has passed since the fight against Bela and his wolves. The herd is living in peace, but suddenly Hamlin, the new leader of the wolf pack, returns to the forest with unknown motives. Rated T to be sure...
1. Prologue

**Author's note:**

**Hey, guys! Welcome to the sequel to 'Our Land'.**

**I'm very satisfied about this story so far, and I think**

**it's going to be one of my best fanfics yet.**

**Please review! Constructive criticism is welcome,**

**I would love to learn more about writing,**

**but do keep in mind that English is not my first**

**language and that I'm still learning. **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Snowy Stoat.**

**...**

**Our Land – Shadows**

**Prologue.**

…

It was dark outside. The stars were shining. The wolves of the pack were out hunting. Except for a few. And three of them were hiding deep in this dark, deep cave.

The cave was filled with smoke, and it was warm.

Two wolves were sitting close to a fire, pieces of cloth tied before their mouths and noses to protect themself from the smoke. They were looking at a third wolf, who didn't wear any protection against the fumes of the fire.

One of the wolves with the cloth in front of their muzzle was an old light-furred male with a huge headgear on his head made of the skull of a saber toothed tiger and a lot of feathers. From his chin dangled a long braid. His face was painted with red stripes. His eyes were red.

"Hand me the blue powder." He said to his assistant.

The other wolf, a light grey female with a small headgear of feathers, handed the old male a bowl with light blue powder.

The old male threw it in the fire, and blue flames rose high to the cold stone of the cave. The smoke turned thicker, and the third wolf, a grey male with a black feather behind his ear, breathed in the fumes, his eyes distant and vague, not seeing anything.

"Is it done yet?" the female wolf asked.

The old wolf didn't answer directly. He looked at the younger male, and behind his cloth mask he was grinning.

"Hamlin," he said. "Do you hear me? Who am I?"

Hamlin kept staring in front of him, his eyes not seeing anything.

"You… are my master… Witch Wolf…" he said without a sign of emotion in his voice.

The Witch Wolf giggled loudly. "Very good." He laughed. "Now, a little test. Hamlin… bark."

Hamlin barked loudly.

"Lovely, lovely," the Witch Wolf giggled. "Now… growl."

Hamlin growled and bared his teeth.

Laughing loudly, the Witch Wolf turned to his assistant.

"You, say something to him."

The female wolf stepped forward. "Hamlin…" she said softly. "It… it's me. Shani. Do you hear me?"

Hamlin didn't answer. He just kept staring in front of him with empty eyes.

Shani turned around to the Witch Wolf, and under her mask she was grinning.

"It's really working," she laughed. "That herd's last hour has arrived."

The Witch Wolf laughed maniacally. He grabbed Shani by the shoulders and danced around with her. Both laughed.

"It's working, it's working!" the Witch Wolf sang.

And they laughed and they sang, and they teased the poor Hamlin who couldn't do or say anything. While outside, the other wolves had no idea what was going on.


	2. Chapter 1 - Day with the herd

**Our Land- Shadows**

**Chapter 1 – day with the herd**

…

A year had passed since the herd and the badgers defeated Bela and his pack. All that time, they had lived in the forest in peace. Now that the wolves were gone, animals felt safer in the forest, despite the presence of two sabers. They came out more often, and the herd had started making new friends.

The badgers still lived in their own little forest, but the herd saw them from time to time. Sometimes Baen and Granny paid the herd a visit. And whenever the badgers were hosting a party again, the herd was invited.

Granny was now officially the queen of the badgers and surprisingly, she was doing well. She wasn't the most sane person, but she was as bossy as a real leader. And of course, Baen still helped her to run the village.

It was a warm day for the ice age, and the herd was outside their cave in the sun.

Shira and Diego were simply lying in the sunshine with their eyes closed.

Sid, Crash and Eddie, Louis and Peaches were playing a game with small stones. Manny and Ellie were out in the forest for a walk.

"You know, I kinda miss Ethan and the rest," Peaches said. "I mean, there aren't any mammoths my age around here."

"You've got us," said Sid with a smile.

"Yeah, but I mean, you know…" said Peaches. "boys and stuff."

"Manny won't be glad to hear that, Peaches," Shira said without opening her eyes.

Peaches sighed. "If it was up to dad, I would still be single when he dies." She grunted.

Louis said nothing. He still hadn't found the courage to tell Peaches the truth. He wondered if he ever would be brave enough…

"Well, being dingle isn't that bad," Sid shrugged. "I mean, look at me."

"Bad example, Sid." Diego yawned, while rolling to his other side.

Sid didn't look amused.

In the meantime, Manny and Ellie were in the middle of the forest, walking and talking calmly. Until suddenly Ellie stood still.

"What is it, honey?" Manny asked.

"It's just… I think I heard something." Ellie said, looking around a bit nervously.

"Well, it's probably just one of our neighbors." Said Manny with a shrug.

"It just reminded me of something." Ellie said, frowning. "It… it reminded me of Bela's pack. I don't know why."

"It's okay, it's probably nothing." Manny smiled.

Ellie shook her discomfort off her. "Yeah, your right." She said.

They continued walking.

"So, as I was telling you, I talked to George yesterday and…" Suddenly Manny stopped.

"Now I heard it too." He said.

He looked around. "I think someone is following us." He whispered to Ellie.

Ellie looked around nervously. "What do we do?" she asked.

Honestly, she suddenly felt the urge to play dead again, like she did when she thought she was a possum. The urge to do that never really left her.

Suddenly, someone jumped out of the bushes.

"Boo!"

Manny and Ellie jumped up in surprise, but when they saw who it was they relaxed.

"Wow, Granny," Ellie giggled. "You startled us."

Granny laughed loudly, falling over on the ground. "You should see your faces, you losers!" She cried out.

Baen now came out of the bushes as well, smiling a bit.

"I tried to stop her, but she insisted on scaring you." He said.

"That's fine," said Ellie with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, there's something we want to show you." Baen explained as he helped Granny stand up. "I think it might be important."

"Oh, then we'll come." Said Manny.

…

Not much later they were following Granny and Baen through the forest. The rest of the herd had joined as well. Manny thought that was best if it was something important.

They walked towards the stream that flowed through the forest. It was always a favorite drinking place for most animals because it's water was fresh, cool and clean.

Manny wondered what could be so important about that stream. But he immediately knew when he saw it.

The usually so clean water of the stream had a strange colour. A big light red-brownish. As if there was blood in it or something like that.

"What… what is that?" Ellie asked as she looked at the water.

"We don't know." Baen shrugged. "But it's important. Most animals of the forest drink from this stream. And it also flows through our village and is our main water source. We don't know if it's safe to drink."

"There must be something in the source of the stream that's making it this colour." Manny said with a frown. "We should take a look. Do you know where the source is, Baen."

"Yes I do," Baen nodded. "But there's a problem… it's in the mountains. Where the wolves live now."

Manny bit his lower lip. That could be a problem. They didn't want to get into trouble with the wolves again.

"We'll need to see if it's safe to drink." Diego said, staring at the water.

Shira sniffed the water carefully. "It smells strange." She said.

"Okay, Sid," Manny ordered. "test if the water is safe to drink."

"Why me?" Sid asked.

"Because I'll pummel you if you don't," Manny said sternly. "Now do it."

Sid sighed and walked over to the stream, while the herd looked at him with worried expressions.

He kneeled by the water, made a bowl out of his hands and took some water in it. Then he drank it.

"And?" Shira asked.

"It tastes strange," Sid said.

"Do you feel anything?" asked Ellie.

Sid shook his head.

"Try some more," said Manny.

Sid took some more sips, and after he didn't feel much different again some more.

"And?" Manny asked.

Sid was silent for a while.

"Now I feel weird," he said.

"Oh dear," Ellie said, with a concerned expression on her face.

"What do you feel?" Baen asked Sid.

"Well, dizzy," Sid said. "A bit light in the head."

"Any pain?" Asked Peaches.

Sid shook his head. "No, not really," he admitted.

"That's a good thing, then," Manny sighed. "But I think it's best if we don't drink from this anymore. It may be bad if you drink too much."

"I agree," said Baen. "But now we lost our main source of water in our village. I hope this doesn't last long."

"If it doesn't go away in a few days, we will have to go to the mountains," Manny said. "We can't lose the stream. We'll just have to face those wolves again."

"Are you okay, Sid?" Ellie asked the sloth. She was a bit worried.

Sid nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm fine."

"We'll need to warn the other animals," Manny said.

"Yes," Baen said. "I will send my badgers immediately."

When they went their spate ways, Ellie thought she heard something in the bushes.

But she quickly shook it off her and went back to the cave.

**...**

**Author's note:**

**Hey guys...**

**Um... Again, please write your reviews in English**

**^^;**

**I only speak English and Dutch, so I can't understand**

**your reviews when you write it in Spanish or French...**

**Other than that, thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Again, constructive criticism is welcome! **

**Snowy Stoat. **


	3. Chapter 2 - Wolf

**Our Land- shadows**

**Chapter 2 – wolf**

…

The next day, Sid complained that he didn't feel well. He said he had a headache. Because the rest of the herd were worried that he might have been poisoned, they decided to take him to the healer of the badger village.

Once they were there, they saw that the poor healer was very busy. Multiple badgers who didn't look very well were waiting outside her cave.

"What's going on here?" Manny asked Baen when the badger appeared.

"Some of the badgers drank from the water after all," Baen explained. "And they turned… well…." He hesitated.

"They're okay, right?" Peaches said with a frown. "I mean, they're not dying, are they?"

"I don't know," Baen sighed. "It's a strange situation. Badgers who drank too much from the poisoned water started acting strange. They couldn't walk straight, stared seeing things double, started talking like their tongue was half-numbed. And they started acting like they couldn't think straight."

"Good thing Sid didn't drink too much from that stuff," Manny said.

"And after a few hours of sleep, the infected badgers woke up with a horrible headache." Baen continued.

"Yeah, I have that too," Sid said.

The healer badger came out of her cave and walked over to Baen. She shook her head.

"Nothing seems to work," she informed him. "None of my medicine seems to work on the infected badgers. I can only help make the headache a bit lighter."

"Okay, we have to make sure nobody drinks from that stream again," Baen said.

"I think everyone has learned their lesson by now," said the healer. "They won't drink from it again."

"Where's Granny?" Sid asked.

"She's been infected as well," Baen explained. "She's in the headache-phase now. I would leave her alone for now if I were you. She is in a very bad mood."

"Yeah, best we do." Manny nodded.

The healer badger gave Sid some leaves to chew on that would help against his headache. Then the herd went back to their cave.

On the way back, Ellie stayed behind a bit, looking around. Suddenly, she stopped when she saw something grey between the trees. It had to be some kind of animal.

"Hello, who's there?" She asked.

There was no answer.

Shira walked towards the female mammoth. "What is it, Ellie?" she asked her.

"I saw something," Ellie answered, walking towards the place she had seen the strange animal.

Suddenly, a wolf jumped out of the bushes. Ellie and Shira jumped backwards in surprise. Then they recognised the wolf.

"Hamlin?" Ellie said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Hamlin didn't answer, but he looked at the mammoth and the saber. His eyes were strange… they seem to be vague, not really seeing anything, no sign of any emotion in them.

Shira growled. "You said you'd never return here," she hissed. "Go back to the mountains where you belong."

But it was as if Hamlin didn't hear them. He just stared into the distance, not saying anything. Then he turned around and disappeared into the bushes again.

Ellie and Shira looked at each other, and knew that they both had no idea what that meant.

Manny came walking towards them.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"We saw Hamlin," Ellie said, her eyes still wide with surprise.

Manny frowned. "I thought he and his wolves were gone, moved to the mountains." He said. "What would he be doing here?"

"I don't know, but he looked… strange. Like he wasn't completely himself." Said Ellie with a frown on her forehead.

"Hmm," Manny mumbled. "I wonder what's going on…"

Suddenly, they heard a scream. They recognised the voice… it was from Peaches.

As fast as they could they ran towards the teenage mammoth. She was standing there with Crash, Eddie and Sid, all of them looking shocked.

"What's happened?" Ellie asked. She looked around. "Where are Diego and Louis?"

"H-Hamlin…" Peaches stuttered. "He suddenly came jumping out of the bushes. He… he took Louis with him."

"And Diego?" Manny asked.

"He followed Hamlin," Sid explained. "To try to get Louis back."

At that moment, Diego got back. He was panting.

"Diego, where's Louis?" Ellie asked.

"I lost him." Diego sighed. "Hamlin was too fast. I don't know how it happened."

Peaches let out a sob. "Why do those wolves do this?" she said. "Last year it was uncle Sid, and now Louis… what do they want from us?"

Manny shook his head. "I don't know, honey," he said to his daughter. "I thought Hamlin wanted to have nothing to do with us."

"We need to go there," said Ellie. "At least to try to talk. They can't do this. We had an arrangement."

"Yes," Manny agreed. "I'll go."

"But dad, what if it's dangerous?" Peaches protested. She was reminded of all the times something had happened to her father. Especially during the great continental drift. It had left her worrying for her dad's life many times. Just like now…

"Maybe what we need is… a spy," Ellie said.

Everyone looked at her.

"What ere you trying to say?" Manny asked her.

"Well," Ellie said with a bit of a mysterious smile on her face. "that way, none of us will get hurt. None of us will have to be in danger. We just need a wolf who's on our side… or a wolf who will be a spy for us if we have the right bargain for her…"

"Sierra?" Shiras said in surprise. "You want to get Sierra for this? Why?"

"She helped us before…" said Ellie.

"Yes, and that time we almost died in a fight against those wolves," Shira exclaimed. "I say it's a bad idea. It's better if Manny goes to the wolves to talk. Maybe even with Diego and me with him, just to be sure."

"I have to agree with Shira," said Manny. "We don't have time to play spying games. We have to get Louis back as soon as we can."

Peaches looked at him thankfully.

Ellie sighed. "Maybe you're right," she admitted. "It was just an idea."

"I'll go to the wolves as soon as I can," Manny decided. "Which means now."

"I'm coming with you, Manny," Diego said quickly, standing beside his mammoth friend.

"Me too!" said Sid.

"But you're ill," Manny protested.

"I feel a lot better," said Sid with his nose in the air.

"Shall I go as well?" Shira asked.

"I think it's better if we three go," said Manny. "You and Ellie need to protect Peaches and the twins in case Hamlin or some other wolf comes back."

Shira nodded shortly.

Ellie nuzzled Manny. "Be careful," she said.

Then they went their separate ways. Ellie, Shira, Peaches and Crash and Eddie went to the cave, while Manny, Sid and Diego walked into the direction of the mountains behind the woods.

The sun was climbing higher into the sky. But they knew it would take most of the day to walk to the mountains.

**...**

**Author's note:**

**Hey, guys. Thank you all for reading, again.**

**Please, don't forget to leave a review and tell **

**me what you think. **

**I love to ****hear your thoughts and opinions,**

**even if it isn't a long critique.**

**Snowy Stoat. **


	4. Chapter 3 - The wolf rock

**Our Land- Shadows**

**Chapter 3 – The Wolf Rock.**

…

Sierra breathed in the cool air.

She had left the forest she had lived in since her youth right after she had succeeded in killing her father, Bela the alpha. She had been wandering around, living at one place at one time, and at another the other time. After she had had her revenge, she finally felt free.

She had found a home in the mountains. True, it wasn't that far away from Hamlin's pack, but they didn't know that so they didn't bother her. Even the sneaky Seth didn't know about her presence.

She was standing on the top of a mountain now. It was close to the cave she lived in. She liked to live this high. It made her feel free; besides, most animals didn't come this high, meaning she was all alone. Just the way she liked it.

She looked down, and suddenly she frowned.

There, far below her on the path through the mountains, she saw a mammoth and two other creatures.

She dumped on a lower rock and slowly climbed down from there to see the animals better. When she was close enough to see them clearly but far enough to not be spotted herself, she recognized the three animals.

Manny, Diego and Sid.

"What are they doing here?" Sierra wondered out loud.

She carefully started to follow them.

…

"How do we know where the wolves are?" Sid asked.

"I'm following their scent, Sid," Diego, who was walking on the front, answered. "It'll lead us to them in no time."

Manny suddenly stopped. "Do you get the feeling someone is following us?" he said.

Diego and Sid stopped as well.

Diego sniffed the air.

"I believe there's a wolf nearby," he said. "Nobody move."

Diego made himself ready to attack when necessary.

"Who is there?" he said loudly.

From behind a rock, a grey wolf appeared. She looked at the herd members calmly with her almond-shaped, grey eyes.

Diego put his guard down.

"Sierra…" he said.

Sierra cocked her head. "That's me," she said without much emotion in her voice.

"What are you doing here?" Manny asked.

"I can ask you the same thing," said Sierra.

"We're looking for Hamlin's pack," Manny explained. "our stream is poisoned and Hamlin kidnapped Louis. There's something strange going on, and we think the wolves have something to do with it."

"Hm," Sierra said, clearly uninterested. "Good luck with that."

She turned around to walk away, but Manny called out her name and she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Have you seen anything suspicious lately?" Manny asked.

Sierra shook her head. "And even if I did, this is none of my business." She said.

She walked away.

"Still as helpful as ever," Diego said sarcastically.

"Let's just ignore her," Manny said. "Come on."

They continued walking. The sun was sinking lower to the horizon, and the sky slowly turned red.

Finally, they reached the wolves' new lair. They knew because they ran into a few wolf guards.

They growled at the three herd members.

""What are you three doing here?" one of the two wolves asked. "We had an arrangement. You aren't supposed to be here."

"Well you broke the arrangement first." Sid blamed.

The two wolves looked at each other in confusion.

"Your leader was in our forest today," Manny explained. "And he even kidnapped one of the members of our herd."

The wolves still looked confused.

"Just take us to Hamlin," Diego growled.

The wolves hesitated. Then they nodded.

"Follow us," they said.

They followed a narrow path through the rocks, until they reached a large place completely surrounded by high rocks. There were small caves here and there, and there were wolves everywhere. They looked at the herd with different expressions. Most were just confused. Some growled at them or looked angry.

They walked to a high rock with a rock stairs leading to it. On the rock sat Hamlin, his head high.

He looked down at the herd members and the two wolves guards. He growled and jumped down.

"What are you doing here?" he shouted at Manny. "I thought we had agreed never to bother each other again."

"Yes, but you seem to have some problems to stick to an agreement," Manny shouted back, angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Hamlin hissed. "I've been in the mountains all the time."

"Don't play dumb with me," said Manny. "We saw you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You kidnapped my daughter's friend."

"I did not!"

"Oh, who was it then? Your twin brother?"

"You're a liar."

"No, you're a liar!"

"Enough!"

Hamlin's shout echoed through the mountains.

Manny, Diego and Sid were suddenly silent and they stared at the wolf leader.

"We don't have your friend," Hamlin said at a slightly softer tone. "You can search our lair if you want, you won't find him."

"Oh, we will," Diego growled.

Manny went one way, and Diego the other to look for Louis. Sid decided to stay close to Manny, looking around nervously at the wolves.

Manny, Sid and Diego searched the wolves' lair. They looked everywhere, but found out that Hamlin was right. Louis wasn't there.

They returned to Hamlin's rock.

"I told you," Hamlin said calmly, with his nose in the air.

"We still saw you," said Diego, not believing anything the wolf said. "I saw you with my own eyes."

"I was never in that forest," Hamlin growled back, and he looked straight into Diego's green eyes.

Diego stared back. He was surprised to see he couldn't find any sign in Hamlin's eyes that he was lying. He really believed he hadn't been in that forest. But how was that possible? The saber had seen him with his own eyes. Or maybe Hamlin was just a really good liar.

There was something strange going on.

"Come on, Diego," Manny said. "We're going."

Diego followed the mammoth and the sloth to the exit of the wolves' lair. He took one last look over his shoulder. Hamlin has jumped on his rock again and watched our over his lair. He didn't give the herd one more look.

Outside the wolves' lair, the herd stopped.

"What do we do now?" Diego asked.

"We'll go home first," Manny said. "There we'll talk about what we have to do."

Diego and Sid nodded, and they started their journey back home through the dark of the night.


	5. Chapter 4 - a deal

**Our Land- Shadows**

**Chapter 4 – a deal.**

…

Later in the next morning, Manny, Diego and Sid came back home.

Peaches immediately walked towards her father.

"Where's Louis?" she asked.

Manny sighed sadly and put his trunk on his daughter's shoulder.

"We couldn't find him," he said. "The wolves didn't have him."

Peaches shook her head. "Impossible," she protested. "I saw Hamlin take him with my own eyes. Diego saw it too! And Sid, and…"

"I know, honey," said Manny. "But we searched the entire wolf lair. Louis wasn't there. We don't know what happened to him, but the wolves don't have him. At least, not anymore…"

"It's as if Hamlin didn't know that he was in our forest," Diego said with a frown. "There's something strange going on."

"We did meet Sierra," Sid said, trying to change the subject to something more positive.

Ellie looked at Manny, and Manny looked back at her. He nodded.

"Maybe, we should try your idea, Ellie," the mammoth admitted. "The wolves had something to do with what happened to Louis. Maybe Sierra can find out for us."

Sid sighed. "That means we have to go all the way back to the mountains." He moaned. "I'm tired!"

"You three need to rest," Ellie said. "Shira and I will go."

"I'm coming too," said Peaches.

"Peaches…" Ellie started, but Peaches interrupted her.

"Mom, Louis is my best friend. I have to help get him back."

Ellie looked her daughter in the eyes, and she saw how serious she was. She sighed.

"Okay, Peaches," she gave in.

"Wait a minute," Manny said, stepping in between Peaches and Ellie. "It's way too dangerous."

"Dad!" Peaches exclaimed.

"We'll just search for Sierra, Manny," said Ellie. "we won't go near the wolves. And if we do meet one of Hamlin's wolves, we will always have Shira with us."

Peaches looked at her father with begging eyes. "Please, dad," she begged. "Louis is my best friend…"

Manny sighed. "Alright," he said with difficulty. "You can go. But take good care of her, Ellie. And you too, Shira."

Shira and Ellie nodded.

"Rest now, Manny," said Ellie. "We'll be fine."

They nuzzled each other. Then Ellie, Shira and Peaches started walking towards the mountains, where Manny, Diego and Sid had just come from.

Manny stared at them until they disappeared between the trees.

Then he and his two friends went inside the cave to sleep.

Crash and Eddie stayed behind in front of the cave alone. But soon, they started playing tag and forgot their worries.

…

At the end of that day, Sierra woke up because she heard voices calling her name. She stood up inside the cave that was now her home and yawned.

"What is it now?" she said out loud. "Can't they leave me alone?"

She went outside the cave. Below her, lower on the mountain were two mammoths and a saber. Sierra rolled her eyes as she recognised Shira, Ellie and Peaches.

What did they want now?

She climbed down until she was standing in front of Ellie.

"There you are, Sierra," Ellie said with a smile.

Sierra didn't smile back. She just looked at the mammoth seriously.

"What do you want from me?" she asked.

"We need your help," said Ellie.

Sierra turned her back on Ellie.

"I am not interested," she said. "I'm still a lone wolf, remember? I don't have any friends, and I don't do favours."

"Sierra, please…" Ellie begged.

"No," said Sierra. "I want to be left alone."

"What if we promise you get something in return?" Ellie asked.

"You have nothing that interests me," Sierra said stubbornly. "I have everything that I need. A home, food, water and privacy. I don't need anything else."

Ellie sighed. "And after all we've been through together…" she mumbled.

Sierra was silent for a while, and she looked at the ground. Ellie had no idea what she could be thinking of.

Peaches stepped forward.

"Please, Sierra," she begged. "help us. My best friend may be in danger. Have you no heart?"

Sierra looked at the teenage mammoth over her shoulder.

"Perhaps I don't," she said softly.

She stood up and wanted to walk away, but Ellie stopped her.

"Sierra, listen," the mammoth said. "I'm very sorry… about what happened to your mother."

Sierra looked up.

"I don't know exactly what happened," Ellie continued. "But Bela hurt you and took your mother away from you. That was cruel, and you had every right to be angry with him. But please, don't take it off on the entire world. There are good animals out there that want to help you. That want to be your friend. Don't you think that your mother would be sad if she saw how alone you are?"

Sierra was silent for a while. Then she carefully touched the scars on her upper front leg. She was reminded of her father's sharp claws that ripped through her flesh. His teeth… that sank deep into her mother's throat and took het life away from her. The pain she felt when she saw her dead mother. Oh, god, the pain…

Sierra felt her eyes burning.

"Leave me alone!" She cried out, and she ran away as fast as she could. This time, Ellie didn't try to stop her.

Sierra ran and ran, as fast as she could. Finally she became tired and stopped. She sat down next to a stream, and finally let her tears flow. She cried, something she hadn't done in years. Rivers of tears flowed from her eyes over her cheeks and down her nose to the ground.

She lay down on the cold stone, hiding her muzzle under her paws. She sobbed until her chest hurt.

"Mother," she whispered through the sobbing. "I miss you… I miss you so much."

…

Ellie and Peaches gave each other a look. Ellie knew she had touched a sensitive area on Sierra. But it still didn't help them.

"Let's go home," Shira sighed. "It's obvious Sierra isn't going to help us."

Ellie just nodded, and Peaches sighed. This still didn't help Louis any further. Who knew where he could be? In what kind of danger he was?

Peaches was worried.

"Well, hello," a voice above them said. They looked up, and saw a light brown wolf with a brown feather behind his ear sitting on a rock.

"Seth!" Shira growled.

The wolf giggled.

"You," Ellie said, walking towards the brown wolf. "Where is our friend, Louis?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Seth laughed. "I haven't seen that guy. I thought Hamlin already told you he isn't here."

"Well, maybe he's lying?" Shira hissed.

"Hamlin, lie?" Seth giggled loudly. "Don't be ridiculous. That stupid young alpha is nothing but honesty."

He spat on the ground.

"You don't like him, do you?" Ellie said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't," said Seth. "I'd have anyone as an alpha wolf, except him."

Ellie smiled deviously. "Maybe you and I can come to an agreement."

Seth perked his ears. "I'm listening," he said with a grin.

"We need someone to spy on Hamlin," Ellie explained slowly. "someone who's good at stealth, someone who's small and silent. Someone like you, Seth."

"What's in it for me?" Seth asked.

Ellie thought for a while.

"If you do this," she eventually said. "we owe you a big favour. Whatever you ask of us, we will do it for you."

"No matter what?" Seth asked.

"No matter what." Said Ellie.

Seth grinned deviously.

"Deal."


	6. Chapter 5 - Mouse blood

**Our Land – shadows.**

**Chapter 5 – Mouse blood**

…

"You made a deal with Seth?!" Manny cried out.

Ellie, Shira and Peaches were back at the herd's cave. It was early in the morning, and the sun had only barely appeared from behind the horizon.

"Ellie, Seth can't be trusted," Diego said. "What if he betrays you to Hamlin?"

"Seth hates Hamlin," Ellie explained. "You're right that he can't be trusted. But I believe he will do this for us. We defeated the wolves, and we have the badgers on our side. He would love it if we owed him a favor."

"Still, you could've talked about it with me first," Manny protested.

"Yeah, and go all the way back just to ask 'Hey Manny, what if we ask Seth to be our spy', only to go back to the mountain again to ask it to Seth," Ellie said. "That would take two more days with Louis probably in danger."

Manny sighed. His wife was right in a sense. Still, he didn't feel comfortable working together with that sneaky wolf.

"Fine," Manny grunted. "So what did you arrange with him?"

"He'll spy on Hamlin and the other wolves until he knows where they are keeping Louis," Ellie said with a shrug. "Then he will report to us, and we can rescue our friend."

"And any idea what favor he wants from us?" asked Manny.

Ellie shook her head.

"He's going to take some time to think about that, I bet," she said.

Manny and Diego gave each other a look. Both were worried. Working together with Seth wasn't the most pleasant idea. But in the end, they didn't have much choice.

…

Seth walked around inside the wolves' lair. Nobody really noticed him. Not only because he was a master of stealth, but also because they were all used to him sneaking around.

Who to spy on first? Seth wondered.

He jumped up when he heard a voice behind him.

"Seth, what are you doing?"

He turned around and looked into the green eyes of Shani, Hamlin's younger sister.

"I can ask you the same," Seth said, looking at the leather bag Shani carried on her back.

"These are special plants for the Witch Wolf," said Shani, her nose proudly in the air.

Seth shuddered slightly. Just hearing that name gave him the creeps. The Witch Wolf was probably the most creepy wolf in the entire pack. He was crazy, always talking and giggling to himself. He had all kinds of mysterious rituals that even the older wolves didn't understand. And he always was surrounded by the strange smell of smoke and pepper.

"Oh right, the Witch Wolf," Seth said mockingly, after regaining from his slight moment of disgust. "Don't you think he is a bit old for you, Shani?"

Shani looked at him furiously. "It is not what you think, you idiot!" she growled. "I am his assistant. One day, I'm going to be Witch Wolf of this pack. So you'd better learn some respect, or I'll never heal you when you're ill."

"Like those stupid little rituals actually work," Seth mocked.

Shani suddenly smiled deviously. "Oh, they work perfectly," she whispered. "More perfectly than you wish, Seth."

A shiver went down Seth's spine.

"You're just as crazy as that old Witch Wolf," he said, and he quickly walked away with his tail between his legs. Shani chuckled and continued walking towards the Witch Wolf's cave.

Seth scratched behind his ear.

Hamlin's sister was cute at first sight, but she seemed to become more crazy and obsessed every day. First she had been obsessed with serving Bela, now she was obsessed with that horrible Witch Wolf.

"Well, I know who's not the first spying victim," Seth mumbled to himself.

No way was he going to follow that crazy witch.

Seth glanced up and saw Hamlin sitting on his high rock. He grinned. This was a plot against Hamlin after all, wasn't it? So why not start with Hamlin. After all, he probably had the most interesting things to do.

He slowly began sneaking closer to Hamlin, hiding behind rocks and small bushes. He climbed higher and higher, until he was behind the young alpha wolf, with only a few bushes in between them. Seth didn't make a noise as he carefully lay down and started waiting.

He had to say, Hamlin had taken an excellent rock as his 'throne'. Even behind those bushes, almost the entire wolf lair was in sight.

This maybe made Seth despise Hamlin even more. At least Bela had a normal rock to sit on. Hamlin just had to pick such a high one, that reached tall above the lair.

"What a show-off," Seth whispered to himself.

Hamlin suddenly looked over his shoulder and Seth froze. He had heard the soft whisper.

But then Hamlin looked back over the wolves below him again. He apparently thought it had just been the wind, or maybe some small animal like a rat or a squirrel.

Seth relaxed again and made himself comfortable. All he had to do now, was wait.

…

"Lovely, lovely," the Witch Wolf giggled while rubbing his paws. He looked at the bag Shani had brought to him.

"It's everything you asked for, master," Shani said proudly.

Chuckling, the Witch Wolf turned the leather bad inside out, and plants and some dead mice fell to the ground.

The Witch Wolf grabbed the dead mice and walked over to a stone bowl. He squeezed the mice between his paws one by one, squeezing the blood out of them into the bowl.

Shani looked at it with great interest. The smell of blood filled the deep cave. It prickled her nose and she felt her mouth began watering.

The Witch Wolf's paws were now red with blood. When he was done with the mice, he licked the blood off his paws, and started putting leaves from some of the plants in the mouse blood.

"Can I do something to help you, Witch Wolf?" Shani asked eagerly.

The Witch Wolf looked up with a grin. "Of course, my dear, of course," he said. "You can make some more poison for the stream."

Shani nodded, and she started mixing ingredients in a bowl. She knew the recepy by now.

After a while, Shani opened her mouth again.

"Master, why do we actually do this?" she asked. "I mean… put this stuff in the stream. It isn't lethal. It doesn't kill anybody."

The Witch Wolf grinned. "Because it's fun to toy with those animals before we reach our ultimate goal," he said.

Shani grinned back. "Oh, now I understand."

"You are so smart, my dear," the Witch Wolf giggled. "You will be a great Witch Wolf some day."

"And we will be known far and wide," Shani said. "Because we did that one thing everyone saw for impossible."

"Exactly, exactly," The Witch Wolf laughed. His eye twitched.

He looked at the bowl of mouse blood and leaves.

"I think it's ready," he grinned. "Go get your brother, Shani."

"Yes, master," Shani said with a big smile on her face.

She left the Witch Wolf's cage, which was hidden behind a hanging plant, and walked up to Hamlin, who was still sitting high on his rock.

"Oh, brother," Shani said half-singing. "The Witch Wolf is asking for you."

Hamlin rolled his eyes.

"Again?" he grunted. "What does he want now."

"He just wants to show you something." Shani giggled.

Hamlin raised an eyebrow and looked at his sister. She had always been a bit of a peculiar wolf. But lately, she really started to behave strange. She giggled more, she had this strange look in her eyes.

Hamlin recognized her behavior from something…but he didn't quite know what it was.

"Well?"

Shani's voice woke Hamlin up from his thoughts.

Hamlin shook the thoughts out of his head.

"Yes, I'm coming." He said.

**...**

**Author's note:**

**Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, but heres the next chapter.**

**I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to leave a review**

**and tell me what you think.**

**Snowy Stoat**


	7. Chapter 6 - Mayme

**Our Land- Shadows**

**Chapter 6 – Mayme**

…

Seth stood up as he watched Hamlin follow Shani to the Witch Wolf's cave. But he didn't follow them. He didn't really feel like being close to that horrible old wolf, with his crazy red eyes and his dancing and singing.

No, he'd rather stay where he was. After all, he had time enough to spy on the other wolves. Ellie hadn't given him some kind of deadline. Of course, she expected him to be as fast as he could. But what she didn't know couldn't hurt her, right? He'd just tell her it took long to find that little molehog.

Seth stretched and yawned. Then he left his hiding place and walked out of the wolves' lair. It was a beautiful day, and he felt like exploring some of the parts of the mountains he didn't know yet. Not that he was very adventurous, but he was curious.

He didn't notice Hamlin leaving the Witch Wolf's cave with a strange, vague look in his eyes.

…

It was almost dark, and Peaches was walking through the forest with her two uncles Crash and Eddie. Peaches had to be honest; they weren't such good company as Louis. She missed her little friend. They had been through so much together, Peaches almost couldn't imagine her life without him. He had been the best friend she could ever ask for, despite his occasional shyness and his lack of bravery. Well, that last thing wasn't completely true. Louis could be very brave, but his bravery was just hidden deeply within him, only coming out at certain moments.

Peaches sighed.

"What's the matter, Peach?" Crash asked.

"I miss Louis," Peaches replied.

Crash and Eddie gave each other a look.

"But you have us, right?" Eddie said.

Peaches wasn't sure if that was meant friendly or in a teasing way. So she just didn't answer.

Suddenly she blinked as she saw something grey between the trees. She slowly walked closer, her two uncles hiding behind her. At that moment, a grey wolf jumped out of the bushes.

Peaches gave out a scream.

"Hamlin!" She screamed. "You again!"

But Hamlin said nothing, a strange vague look in his eyes, he just stood there and stared at the mammoth. Then he jumped towards her and tried to bite her. But she slapped him away with her trunk, sending him flying against a tree.

He didn't make a sound as he hit the hard surface. He just jumped on his feet again and charged once more. This time, Peaches jumped aside, making Hamlin miss.

"Run!" she cried out to Crash and Eddie as she started running towards the herd's cave.

Hamlin began to chase them. He caught up with them and jumped on Peaches' back, sinking his teeth in her back. Peaches screamed, but soon recovered from the shock and let herself fall, rolling on her back to get the wolf off.

Crash and Eddie continued running and were soon out of sight.

Hamlin let go of Peaches, and she stood up again, continuing to run.

Hamlin seemed to never get tired, because he also jumped on his feet very fast and started chasing the teenage mammoth again.

Then suddenly Manny jumped out from between the trees. He knocked Hamlin unconscious with one powerful blow.

Peaches stopped running.

"Dad!" she cried out as she hugged her father with her trunk.

"Crash and Eddie came to warn me," Manny said, hugging her back. "Are you alright, honey?"

"Yes, I am," Peaches answered.

But Manny saw blood on her back where Hamlin had bitten her.

"You're bleeding!" he said shocked.

"It's alright, it's not that bad," said Peaches.

"We've got to get that looked after." Manny insisted. "Come on, we're going to the badger healer."

He put his trunk on his daughter's shoulder and took her with him to the badger village.

…

Sierra woke up. She hadn't noticed that she had fallen asleep next to the stream. She stood up and stretched her legs. Then she looked around. She hadn't been here before. She usually kept to her side of the mountains, eastern from the wolf's den. This was more to the west.

She carefully sniffed the air. She smelled something…

Then she looked next to her in the grass, and saw a dead rabbit. She sniffed it. It was freshly caught. And it looked like it was meant for her.

Sierra turned up her nose. She didn't need anyone's help, so she stood up to walk back to her side of the mountains.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" a voice said.

Sierra looked around, but saw nobody.

"Who is there?" She growled, showing her teeth.

"Don't worry, my dear I'm not going to hurt you."

Out of the shadows of the tree came a brown female wolf. She looked old, but still strong. She had yellow eyes that stared right into Sierra's grey ones. There was a faint smile on her face.

"Get back!" Sierra snarled. "I don't want to have anything to do with you and your pack."

"What pack?" the old female asked, looking around in semi-confusion.

"Hamlin's pack, what else?" Sierra said coldly.

The old female wolf send her a warm smile.

"You don't have to worry about that, my dear, I am a lone wolf like you." She said.

Sierra frowned. It was true that she had never seen this she-wolf before. And yet, there was something familiar about her. Especially those yellow eyes of her…

"Aren't you going to eat that?" the old female said again, nodding to the dead rabbit. "I caught it for you. You seemed hungry."

"No thank you," said Sierra, avoiding the female's eyes. "I don't need any help."

The old wolf just smiled.

"You don't have to distrust me, dear. We are both lone wolves, both without a pack and without any friends. Maybe we should start trusting each other."

"I don't trust anybody," Sierra said stubbornly.

"Maybe I should introduce myself first," said the old brown wolf. "My name is Mayme."

Sierra raised an eyebrow. "Mayme," she repeated.

Mayme nodded with a friendly smile.

"And you," she said then. "You look familiar… those grey eyes of yours. I have seen those eyes before." She stood up and walked closer to the grey wolf.

"And that cold look in those eyes. You are Bela's daughter, aren't you?"

"I thought you were a lone wolf," sierra said. "how do you know about Bela?"

"I am," Mayme replied. "But I belonged to a pack once, long ago. I belonged to the pack of your father."

"And why are you a lone wolf now?"' Sierra asked.

"Because," Mayme said. "I was betrayed. Betrayed by the one that I thought I loved."

Sierra frowned, and Mayme continued talking.

"He was sweet and kind to me, for one night. After that, he treated me like I didn't exist. He only came back to see his children. One of them he took away with him, the girl and the firstborn. The boy he left with me. I don't know what he did with the girl, but I never saw her again."

"Where is the boy now?" Sierra asked.

"With the pack," Mayme said. "I haven't talked to him him in years. I've only seen him from afar."

Sierra tilted her head to one side and looked at the brown female wolf.

"What is his name?" she asked then.

Mayme smiled. "I believe you already know his name." she said. "After all, you've encountered him many times. I saw you two talking… His name is Sethaniel. Commonly known as… Seth."


	8. Chapter 7 - the stream

**Our Land- Shadows.**

**Chapter 7 – The stream. **

…

Sierra blinked. "Seth?" she said. "Seth is your son?"

Mayme smiled and nodded.

Sierra stared into her yellow eyes. The same eyes as Seth.

"And his father is…" Sierra said.

"Yes," Mayme just said.

Sierra shook her head. She never would have thought. It explained a lot.

"But don't worry," said Mayme. "I am nothing like Seth or his father. Like I said, I am a lone wolf, just like you."

"Why did you leave Seth?" asked Sierra.

Mayme shook her head. "I don't think you would understand. You have never been a mother. Sometimes, you just can't do anything else, and you have to let your child go. Seth grew away from me, so it was time for me to go as well."

Sierra saw a twinge of sadness in Mayme's eyes. She bit her lip, then she looked at the rabbit the old wolf had caught for her.

"Thank you… for the meat," she said, not looking Mayme in the eyes.

She stood up and took the rabbit into her mouth. She looked at Mayme one last time, then she walked away.

Mayme smiled sweetly. "Goodbye, daughter of Bela." She said softly.

…

Hamlin woke up in the forest. He looked around, confused. How did he get there? Ever single part of his body hurt. He felt like he had been beaten by a mammoth. He stood on his trembling legs. He had to get out of here. The herd wouldn't be glad when they saw him. He didn't want them to think he would break the deal purposely.

"But how on earth did I get here?" Hamlin asked out loud. There was a large gap in his memory. The last thing he could remember was that he was on his rock in the wolf den. And now he was here. Had he walked there by himself? Had someone brought him here?

He licked his lips and tasted blood. Had he bitten an animal? He couldn't remember that either. He blinked.

This was strange. Very strange.

But before he sorted this out, he had to get back home as fast as he could. So he started walking.

…

The sun was going down, and Seth was still out in the mountains. He was on the western side of the wolf den, where the stream was. He licked his lips. He had just eaten a squirrel, and now he was thirsty. The steam was the nearest water source, so he stood up and headed for the trees where the stream began.

…

"He should've been back by now," The Witch Wolf said, stroking the long braid in his goatee.

"Oh, who cares?" Shani said, sitting behind him. "Let him stay away long if he wants. More time for us to be alone… you know..."

She stepped forward and started nuzzling him, but the Witch Wolf pushed her away.

"Not now, my dear," he said. "We have work to do."

Shani sighed in disappointment, and followed her master as he walked out of the cave.

"Have you fed him today?" The Witch Wolf asked as he walked a few steps in front of her.

"No," Shani admitted.

The Witch Wolf stopped. "Well do it," he said. "We have to keep him alive until it's time."

"Yes, master," Shani said.

She turned around and walked back to the cave. She walked all the way to the back, where is was dark and cold. She grabbed a bowl of nuts on her way.

She stopped in front of a wooden cage, hidden between the rocks.

"Waky, waky," she giggled, opening a small door and shoving the bowl of nuts inside. "Here's your food."

A small, pale nose appeared from behind the bars.

"Please let me out." A voice begged.

"No, silly molehog," Shani said. "We're going to keep you here until it's time."

"What are you going to do to me?" the prisoner asked.

Shani giggled. "You'll see." She just said. She closed the door again and walked back outside, where the Witch Wolf was waiting for her.

"Done, master," Shani said, smiling at him.

The Witch Wolf grinned. "Good." He said.

"Now, let's go to the stream." He said. "We have some work over there."

Shani nodded, and followed him out of the wolf den to the west.

…

Sierra swallowed the last part of the rabbit Mayme had given her. She had to admit, she enjoyed the meal very much. But she felt a bit ashamed as well. She was a lone wolf, she could take care of herself. Shy did she accept food from some other wolf?

Maybe it was because Mayme was a lone wolf as well. And… Sierra couldn't help but admit that she liked her. Mayme was calm and friendly, and seemed to somehow understand Sierra.

Sierra shook her head. No, she didn't need any friends. It was nice of Mayme to give her that rabbit, but that was all. No friendship.

She was thirsty, so the walked to the stream. Before she started drinking, she sniffed. She smelled something strange. Was it the water? She looked at it, and it seemed to have a slight red colour.

Sierra shook her head. No, that was probably just the reflection of the setting sun in the water.

She bowed her head over the water and started drinking.


	9. Chapter 8 - caught

**Our Land- Shadows**

**Chapter 8 – Caught.**

…

Seth arrived at the stream, and walked towards the water to drink, when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, and looked straight into the face of Sierra.

He jumped up in surprise.

"Damn, Sierra!" He said. "You startled me."

To his great surprise, Sierra giggled.

He frowned.

"Sierra?" He said. "Are you alright?"

He had never heard Sierra giggle before. It made him feel nervous. Sierra didn't look quite like herself.

"Oh, I feel great," Sierra giggled, stepping closer to the wolf in front of her.

Seth blinked.

"Did you eat something strange? Because… you're freaking me out." He said.

Sierra laughed. "The stream has magic water, Seth," she said, her eyes half open.

Seth looked at the water. He took a small sip of it.

"That tastes really strange," he said. He looked at Sierra. "So, you drank from this and you turned this way?"

"Oh, clever little Seth!" Sierra giggled.

"This is weird," said Seth. "Very weird. I wonder what made that happen. Is there something in this water? Maybe Hamlin knows…"

He stopped when Sierra tickled his nose with her tail, still giggling.

"Oh, Seth, I always thought you were cute," she said flirtingly.

Seth swallowed. "Ehm…" he said, taking a step back. "A-are you sure you're alright?" Under his fur, his cheeks were burning.

Suddenly, he heard a voice calling his name. He looked up and saw Hamlin standing between the trees.

"What are you doing here?" the alpha wolf asked. He blinked as he saw Sierra. "And you're with her?"

"N-no," Seth stuttered, trying to get away from Sierra. "S-she's acting strange. I she said she drank from that water."

Hamlin sniffed the water. "Hm," he said. "Strange. There's something in this water."

He walked over to Sierra and looked at her.

"She doesn't seem quite like herself," he said.

He dragged the female wolf on her feet by the skin in her neck.

"Come on you, you're coming with me." He said.

"W-what are you going to do with her?" Seth asked.

"Take her to the lair. We'll lock her up. There are strange things going on around here, maybe she knows more." Hamlin explained while dragging Sierra with him.

Seth's heart was racing in his chest. He didn't know what just happened.

He quickly started following Hamlin back to the lair.

Behind him, in the bushes, two yellow eyes were watching him.

…

Manny was alone. He walked over the path carefully, looking around all the time to see if he wasn't attacked. He had decided to go to the wolves alone this time. He wouldn't bring the herd in danger any longer.

Peaches was with Granny and Baen in the badger village, recovering from her wounds. She would be safe there.

Manny knew for certain that the wolves were up to something. This time, he didn't care about politeness. He would knock the truth out of that Hamlin if he had to.

Suddenly, he felt a presence, he looked next to him and noticed that a brown female wolf was walking on the same path. She looked up to him and smiled in a friendly way. She was already old, but didn't look weak in any way.

Manny stopped walking, and the female wolf stopped as well.

Before the mammoth could say anything, the she-wolf spoke.

"You are Manfred the mammoth, aren't you?" she asked calmly.

"Yes, what's it to you?" Manny asked.

"I just came here to tell you what I know," said the female. "My name is Mayme. Don't worry, I'm on your side."

Manny frowned.

"You're looking in the wrong direction," Mayme continued. "Hamlin has nothing to do with the poisoned stream. The Witch Wolf is the one behind that."

"The what?" Manny said, confused.

"The Witch Wolf," Mayme repeated. "He is the pack's healer. I've seen him and his young assistant throw strange things in the stream."

Manny raided an eyebrow. "The poisoned stream?" he said. "And Louis, what about Louis? Does this 'Witch Wolf' have something to do with him too?"

Mayme shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "What does your friend look like?"

"He's a molehog." Said Manny.

"Hm," Mayme hummed. "I did see Hamlin carry a molehog into the wolf's lair. I do not know what happened to him."

"And Hamlin attacked my daughter as well," said Manny. "But I'll get him."

"I don't think it was him," said Mayme.

Manny gave her a confused look. "But you said you saw Hamlin yourself."

"Yes, I know," Mayme said. "But, I do not believe it was his idea. He wouldn't do that. There's something… or someone else behind all this."

"Well, I'm going to have a word with this Hamlin," Manny growled.

"I'm not sure if that is wise." Said Mayme. "Your wife has hired my son to spy on Hamlin and the pack. I think it's wiser to wait until he has more information."

"Your son?" Manny suddenly shouted out. "Seth? Seth is your son?!"

Mayme sat down. "Yes, that's right," she smiled. "I am Sethaniel's mother. But don't worry, I am nothing like him. You can trust me."

"How do I know I can trust you, you might be just as sly and sneaky as that son of yours," Manny snapped.

"Just trust me," Mayme said calmly.

She looked deep into Manny's brown eyes. Looking at her, Manny didn't get the feeling she was like her son. Unless she was a great liar.

On the other hand, visiting the Wolf den now could turn out into a fight. And he didn't want that. But still, Louis might be in danger….

Manny sighed.

"I'll stay here in the mountains until tomorrow." He said. "If you see your son, tell him to hurry up. If he doesn't have any news by tomorrow, I'll go to the wolves myself."

Mayme nodded. "You are a very stubborn mammoth," she said. "But a wise one."

She stood up and disappeared between the rocks of the mountains.

…

Sierra slowly opened her eyes. Pain was pounding through her head. She moaned softly and shook her head, trying to think clearly. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was that she was close to the stream…. What happened after that?

She looked around, and the first thing she noticed was that she was in a cage made of bones. She jumped up, despite the pain in her head. Through the bars of the cage she could see where she was. She was in the wolf den.

Sierra could slap herself. She had been caught, somehow. How could she let that happen?

With a frustrated growl she started biting and pushing the bars, trying to get out. When she noticed it wouldn't be any help, she sat down with a sigh.

"Hi," a voice suddenly said. She looked up and saw Seth sitting next to the cage.

"Oh, great," Sierra grunted, rolling her eyes. "Not only am I locked up here, you're here as well."

"Well that didn't last very long, did it?" Seth said with a pout.

"What are you talking about?" said Sierra.

"You know, the whole 'I like you, Seth' thing," Seth replied.

"I never said that, you idiot," Sierra hissed.

"You said you always thought I was cute," Seth argued.

"Don't make me sick, Seth," Sierra snapped.

"You did say it!" Seth said in a slightly whining tone. "You really did, I'm not lying!"

"Well, if I said it, I didn't mean it," said Sierra. "I was probably not in my right mind. I don't even remember what happened and how I got here."

"Hamlin took you," Seth explained. "You were acting… weird."

"Well, see?" Sierra said. "problem solved. I wasn't in my right mind, now leave me alone."

Seth was silent for a while, and looked at the ground uncomfortably.

"Y-you really didn't mean it?" he stuttered after a while.

"Of course not!" Sierra hissed at him.

Seth pouted slightly, stood up and walked away. Before he disappeared, he looked over his shoulder at Sierra one more time. She didn't look back at him, but continued trying to escape from the bone cage.

Seth let out a sigh and walked into the wolf den. He suddenly saw the Witch Wolf and Shani passing by. He remembered his deal with Ellie.

Who was more suspicious than the Witch Wolf?

Seth stared to follow the healer and his assistant.

…

"I'm starting to get impatient," the Witch Wolf said. "The stars will be right in a few days. We need that blood."

"Yes, master," said Shani. "It seems like my brother is not strong enough to get it."

"We'll need something better," The Witch Wolf pondered. "Something bigger, something more dangerous…."

"Like a bear?" Shani suggested.

The Witch Wolf looked at her and grinned.

"Very good idea, my dear," he smirked. "I think that will do. But how…."

He stroked the long braid in the hair on his chin and stared in front of him in thought.

"Hmmm," he said. "We'll need a lot of lotusberries, and of course the usual, but stronger."

"I'll get it immediately, master," said Shani.

"Do that, my dear," the Witch Wolf nodded. "and be quick."

"Of course, Master."

Shani smiled sweetly at the old healer, then she was gone in a flash.

Behind a rock, Seth frowned. He didn't know exactly what they were talking about, but it seemed like something serious. And if there was a bear involved….

**...**

**Hey, guys.**

**Thank you all for your patience, and I'm sorry I don't update**

**this fanfic that often. But here's a slightly longer chapter to **

**make it up to you.**

**Also, I have good news for those who like 'Our Land' and **

**'Our Land-Shadows'. Because I'm planning on making it a**

**trilogy. There are is going to be one more story after this one**

**is finished. I am also working on two more Ice Age fanfics that**

**are nor canon to the 'Our Land' series. **

**So please, stay tuned for more. ;)**

**Snowy Stoat**


	10. Chapter 9 - Seth and Sierra

**Our Land- Shadows**

**Chapter 9 – Seth and Sierra**

…

"Sierra…"

Sierra opened her eyes. It was night, and the only light came from the stars in the sky. Still it was enough to see Seth sitting next to the cage.

Sierra grunted softly.

"What do you want now?"

"Shh," Seth hissed, while pushing against the rock that covered the opening of the cage.

Sierra stood up and walked towards him.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Trying to get you out, what else?" Seth answered, whispering as well.

Sierra laughed mockingly. "You're never going to move that rock on your own."

"Then help me," said Seth.

Sierra raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want you to help me escape?"

"Do you want to get out of here or not?" Seth snapped.

"Why would you help me?" said Sierra.

Suddenly, Seth was silent for a while, and he looked down at his paws. He stopped pushing against the rock and sat down in front of the cage.

Sierra waited patiently for his answer.

"It's just… ever since you drank from that stream and acted so strange, and you know… said you liked me…." Seth stuttered. "I just… You know…."

"No, I don't know," said Sierra. "Spit it out, Seth. Don't waste my time."

"I've just been thinking about you and… you know, us…" Seth admitted in a soft voice.

Sierra sighed and shook her head. "there is no 'us', Seth," she said. "I don't know how you can even think about something like that."

"But you said you liked me." Seth argued.

"Well I don't." Sierra said.

Seth looked at the ground, then he looked up into Sierra's eyes.

"So, do you want to get out of here or not?" he said.

Sierra cocked her head to one side. Then she sighed and put her front paws against the heavy rock.

"On three," she said.

She counted to three, and she and Seth began pushing against the rock with all their power. Eventually, it began to move slowly until it rolled away and the opening in the cage was free.

As soon as the rock was removed, Sierra jumped out of the cage and ran away as fast as she could, away from the Wolf Den. She ran through the night, back to the stream, but after a while she stopped and sat down.

Seth came running towards her, exhausted, and fell on the ground next to her.

"Seth…." Sierra said coldly. "Why are you following me?"

"Because I want to be with you," Seth said, still panting a little.

"Seth, how many times do I have to tell you…" Sierra began, but Seth interrupted her.

"I know you don't want to be part of Hamlin's pack," he said, standing up. "But you don't have to. We can run away together, and start our own pack somewhere far away. We could be alpha male and female of a pack, you and I. Wouldn't that be great?"

But Sierra shook her head. "No, I am a lone wolf…"

"You keep on saying that," Seth snapped at her. "those words are losing their power, Sierra. I think you're just stubborn."

Suddenly Sierra growled and jumped on Seth, pushing him to the ground. "Listen, you pathetic little worm!" she snarled. "You have no idea what kind of life I have. You are a fool. You don't know what it's like to lose someone… someone who's been there for you all your life, someone who you loved, the only one you could trust. You don't know what kind of emptiness that leaves. You don't understand that it's better never to love someone, because you will always be hurt. They will eventually all leave you, and you will be alone again."

She turned away and closed her eyes, which were burning with tears. She did not want Seth to see her cry.

Seth sat up straight again and looked at Sierra sitting there with her ears in her neck.

"You think I have an easy life?" he eventually said. "I am a coward. I've been pushed around all my life, first by Bela, now by Hamlin and even by that herd in the forest. I never knew who my father was, and my mother left the pack to live in the wild like you. I have nobody. I have no real friends, no family left, nothing. Nobody likes me."

"Then you are better off than you think," Sierra said without looking at the male wolf.

"Look, weird things are happening," Seth continued. "Let's work together…. I am a coward, I can't do this alone. I…. I need you, Sierra."

"No you don't," Sierra replied. "You want me, you don't need me."

"That doesn't matter," said Seth. "I'm asking for your help. And don't say you're a lone wolf, I've heard that joke often enough. Listen, the Witch Wolf is planning something against the herd. I don't know what, but they're going to do something with a bear. I may not like that herd very much, but I made a deal with them. So, are you in or what?"

Sierra looked at him over her shoulder, and he could see her brain working inside of her head.

"If I help you, you must promise me one thing." Sierra said calmly.

"What?" Seth asked.

"That after we are done, you will leave me alone." Sierra replied.

"But…." Seth stammered.

"If not, I will not help you."

"But I love you…."

Sierra shook her head when he said that. "Don't lie to yourself, Seth. Now, give me your answer."

Seth sighed. "Alright," he said. "I promise."

"Good." Sierra said as she finally turned around. "Now, what was it that you heard the Witch Wolf say?"

…

"A-are we there yet, master?" Shani mumbled while dragging the dead deer with her. It was a quite young deer, but large enough to be interesting for a bear. And it was heavy…

"Not much longer, my dear," The Witch Wolf giggled. He was walking in front of her, leading the way. He had a leather bag with powders and plants on his back.

"Good to hear, master." Shani mumbled again.

They arrived at a large, dark cave and there the Witch Wolf stopped.

"Here it is, my dear," he whispered.

He pointed out the spot where Shani should put the deer. She dragged it there and could finally let go. Then the Witch wolf walked up to the dead animal and with one swift stroke of his claw he ripped open the belly of the carcass, making the guts spill all over the forest ground. He opened his bag and took some lotusberries which he squeezed to a red pulp and rubbed over the bloody meat.

After he was done, he wiped his paws on the grass and told Shani to come with him.

They hid in the bushes together and started waiting.

"Are you sure it will work, master?" Shani asked.

"Of course, my little princess," the Witch Wolf assured her while he stroked her ears with his paw. "Do not worry, it will all be alright."

Then sounds came from the cave, and Shani's eyes widened as a huge black bear came into the light of the stars. The enormous animal sniffed the air, smelling a dead animal was close. Then he noticed the deer. He walked over to it and sniffed it. Then he took it in his mouth and dragged it back into the cave. Not much later, Shani could hear the bear ripping the flesh and chewing it.

She laughed. "Yes, he's eating it."

"I told you it would work, my pet," the Witch Wolf replied with a grin.

They heard something heavy falling in the cage.

"It seems the lotusberries have done their job." The Witch Wolf chuckled. "Come on, my dear Shani. Let the ritual begin…"


End file.
